Saturday, January 31, 2009

Sean Pen was not found for response. Chavez still a "great man" in his book.

"We don't want Jews here" and "Jews get out" were the slogans daubed on a Caracas synagogue's walls Saturday.

...

"We found the guard on the floor, he had been threatened with a gun," Bitan said. "Until 3 am they destroyed the offices, opened the Ark of the Covenant, and threw the Torah books on the floor." He said the Jewish community had filed an official complaint with the police. "This is a very complicated situation for the Jews in Venezuela. The slogans were not against Israel but against the Jews," he said.

Bitan added that the community has been troubled by numerous anti-Semitic acts over recent years, and a spokesman for the Federation of Jewish Communities in Venezuela, Daniel Ben-Naim, said the incident testified to the increasing hatred of Jews in the country.

"We've never had such an incident. It looks well-planned," he said. "We were afraid something like this would happen. The official press was becoming more and more anti-Israeli and anti-Jews. There are hundreds of anti-Semitic articles, ads, and fliers." An Israeli residing in Caracas said images from the ravaged synagogue had been displayed in the local media. He said he had seen that another slogan, "Death to the Jews", was also sprayed in the synagogue.Rest Here...

In case you are wondering if this has anything to do with Islam - Venezuella is a close ally of Iran and a supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah. They have recently cut off ties with Israel. They have a growing Lebanese Shiite community in the country encouraged by the deranged communist in charge. Sean Penn still not found for response on his "Chavez is a great man" comment.

Friday, January 30, 2009

"Mizrahi" stands for eastern - and it is Israeli Hebrew music influenced by Arab, Turkish and Greek Music. It's a blend that delivers a unique thing - which half of Israelis hate with a burning passion, and the other half considers only these songs to be music. It's a cultural divide between those who originate in Europe and western world - and those with roots in the Middle East. All in all - in recent years "Mizrahi" songs have become more and more accepted into the main stream of Israeli society. These songs usually tell a tale of sadness - are sang proudly in a weeping voice - and are considered music which brings happiness and joy to it's listeners. To listen to "Mizrahi" is considered "to make happy" - "La'Asot Same'ach".

Well - Ynet today decided to start some cultural war a few weeks before election and label those songs literally as Shit. With a Hebrew article starting with the words: "Who asked for shit songs and didn't get shit?

I won't translate it. Here's a link to the Hebrew original: click.Here's a link to the auto translate:click

The article produced more than 200 responses, most angry. It's as if NBC would broadcast a show called "the crappiest country songs ever written".

BBC director general Mark Thompson had said airing the appeal would compromise the BBC's impartiality.

In a statement, the BBC said that it regretted Mr ElBaradei's move.

The IAEA chief had been due to take part in interviews with the BBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

But Mr ElBaradei cancelled them over the corporation's decision not to broadcast a three-minute appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) - an umbrella group for major UK charities - for humanitarian aid funding for Gaza.

"He believes this decision violates the rules of basic human decency which are there to help vulnerable people irrespective of who is right or wrong," his spokeswoman said.

Merkel: We are suspicious of subsidies to US car makers, this is protectionism and has to end soon

(from here)But then she goes on to suggest a UN economic body. I guess some wakos out there really want a communist global engineered economy. The kind that made the USSR such a brilliant "success".

Also at Davos (from the same page:

Money market expert says: we are not about to turn the corner, we haven't even seen the corner, we don't know where the corner is

Leaders of the world, unite? Not really:

Norinka Ford, Sao Paulo, says: Have our leaders gone totally mad? Why are they cancelling their visits to Davos? This is a major crisis for us all and they should be meeting to discuss solutions and be working non-stop to fix this terrible predicament

I believe he was referring to Obama's dismissal of Davos and not really caring about US's standing in the world - only the Arab world:

Graham Garner, Oslo says: Without the attendance of Obama's economic advisers and Mr Darling from the UK, Davos, apart from mulling over economic gloom, and of course Gaza, will have limited impact. At best it will just be a talking shop, while the World waits for the G20 summit and American economic plans.

Obama's too busy thieving the next generation to care what financial experts around the world are saying out loud:

Lynn, Reading, UK says: I have a strong doubt that the stimulus package proposed by the Western leaders to battle the downturn, could ever work

We all know why California is in trouble. They spent more then they collected in taxes. They financed crazy left wing programs including stem cell research and financing social services for illegal immigrants who do not pay any taxes. In short, California became so indebted, they were insolvent.

So Obama steps in, and gives away 11 Billion Dollars, bad behavior rewarded - what are the chances we shall return to this junction in the very near future? The federal tax payment, all of us - are to pay for California's social experiments and illegal immigration mess.

It get's worst. 11 Billion covers only 25% of the debt. California is a big tax payer's hole. 11 Billion is Only 25%!

The state could receive $11 billion, enough to wipe out about 25% of its budget shortfall.

Reporting from Washington and Sacramento -- The economic stimulus package congressional leaders are drafting would wipe out nearly a quarter of California's budget shortfall, a potential windfall that could help end the impasse over how to close the nearly $42-billion gap.

The House bill, which is likely to be voted on next week, would bring the state more than $11 billion in healthcare and education money that could go directly to reducing the deficit through mid-2010, state officials learned Thursday night.

"This takes a big bite out of the state's budget gap," said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project, a Sacramento-based think tank. "It is better news than many of us had anticipated."

The money would come from the $825-billion stimulus package that President Barack Obama has made a top priority. The package would also increase spending in California into 2011 for various federal programs, such as job training and food stamps.

The amount of money slated for California could change, however. The Senate is preparing to write its own version, and Republicans are increasingly objecting to the plan, saying it would not do enough to stimulate the economy.

But congressional Democrats hope to send a bill to the White House by Presidents Day.

"The president asked for action, swift and bold. That is what we are doing," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said Thursday. "The American people are in a desperate situation."

This crap sandwich snow ball has begun people. It's just the beginning.

Flying pig? not yet - it's a mild criticism in an attempt to look balanced. At least someone is hearing the outcry of bias. They call the show "no bias", it's like an admission that everything else is biased there.

Unfortunately, we are again asking the president to explain why exactly he announced, with great fanfare, new ethics rules if he had no intention of abiding by them.The Obama administration is yet again asking for a waiver to its very own rules about hiring lobbyists.

This time, it is the new treasury secretary, Tim Geithner. He wants a former lobbyist for Goldman Sachs to be his top aide at the Treasury Department.

My view is simple: Mr. President, if you want to hire former lobbyists because you think they are the best people to do the job, then hire former lobbyists. Just don't hold a big news conference first to tell us how your administration is going to be so different from previous administrations in that you won't be hiring lobbyists.

Don't make your disdain for lobbyists and your pledges that they won't wield influence in your administration a centerpiece of your campaign.

It's the hypocrisy and the double-talk that makes so many of us so cynical. Do what you think is best for the country. Just be straight with us about how you're going to do it.

P.S.

Isn't it funny how Obama has boycotted Fox-News through-out his campaign, and probably will continue to do so for the next 4 years. He was badmouthing them and naming names - but a week after being sworn in he went for in interview in a terror supporting, pro-Hamas, Arab TV network? Can CNN notice that hypocrisy or is that asking too much?

Europe could mar its chance of forging a long-cherished trans-atlantic bond with President Barack Obama unless it quickly matches new U.S. signs of openness with decisive gestures of its own, analysts warn.

Obama's first week in office has been a dream come true for his European admirers, with a commitment to shut Guantanamo prison, a disavowal of the Bush administration's controversial anti-terrorism tactics, and steps to tackle climate change.

But Europe's response so far has been less forthright, with a lukewarm answer to a U.S. appeal to help resettle Guantanamo detainees and little sign so far that its armies will match expected new U.S. troop deployments in Afghanistan.

"Europe has a window of opportunity to establish itself as a reliable partner with Obama but that window will close at some point," said Tomas Valasek of the Centre for European Reform think tank in London.

"If it fails to deliver, that would devalue it as a partner," he added. He cited Guantanamo, Afghanistan, global financial reform and tackling climate change as early tests of a post-Obama meeting of minds across the Atlantic.

After George W. Bush split NATO over Iraq and alienated Europeans with his scepticism on global warming, the continent has not hidden its delight at the arrival of Obama.

His pledge to close within one year the Guantanamo jail synonymous for many with abuses carried out in the name of Bush's "war on terrorism" first prompted loud praise -- but then a bout of hand-wringing on the other side of the Atlantic.

EU foreign ministers this week cited a range of legal and security problems with resettlements. Many insisted that although Europe could help, dealing with the problem had to remain the primary responsibility of the United States

Global Financial Reform?! What the hell is up the pipes? One global communist economy?

A nationwide strike by French unions over the economic crisis is a warning shot fired across the bows of President Nicolas Sarkozy rather than a torpedo aimed at sinking his government, analysts say.

However, the global downturn is creating undercurrents of tension in France that are already forcing the centre-right administration to temper its reformist ambitions and could yet threaten political stability.

Joining forces for the first time since Sarkozy took office in 2007, the country's eight main unions are demanding more action to protect jobs and wages during the expected recession.

The protests hit transport, schools and services around the country, and unionists threatened further stoppages in the weeks ahead if the government does not respond to its demands.

Demands. I don't think Americans have ever experienced a nation-wide strike to appreciate how painful it is on the citizens. Coming from Israel, which experiences similar strikes every few months - I can tell you that it's always the little guy that suffers. Narrow interests are dictated - equal opportunity and innovation are suppressed.

Gaza terrorists fired a rocket at the western Negev on Wednesday night. The “Color Red” rocket alert was heard in towns throughout the Eshkol region, and a short time later a strike was reported in an open area. No injuries were reported in the attack.

The rocket firing followed on the heels of a Tuesday bombing that killed one IDF soldier and wounded three others before Israel responded by destroying three smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egypt border.

Eshkol regional council head Chaim Yalin called on the government to respond to Wednesday's attack as well. “We expect the government not to give in to the policy of restraint, and to respond harshly in order to protect residents,” he said.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak canceled a planned visit to Washington on Wednesday following Tuesday's attack., explaining he would remain in Israel to coordinate the IDF response to events in Gaza.

If you manage to figure out the timeline here - you must be a genius or have watched the news in Israel through out the day. One thing is for sure, Hamas bombed a border patrol, waited for Israel's mute retaliation then bombarded civilians again.

Bibi - come bulldozer the terrorist launching pad. Disengagement and Oslo are the cause, occupation is and always was the solution.

Turkey's prime minister had a message Thursday for U.S. President Barack Obama: redefine terror and terrorism in the Middle East and use it as the basis for a new American policy.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country has played a key role in trying to mediate among Israel and Syria and the Palestinians, said Obama's new Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, will be in Turkey for talks Sunday.

"President Obama must redefine terror and terrorist organizations in the Middle East, and based on this new definition, a new American policy must be deployed in the Middle East," Erdogan told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Turkish leader appeared to be referring to the U.S. position toward Hamas and Hezbollah, which the United States considers terrorist organizations. While both have military wings, Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 and remains in charge following the recent Israeli invasion. Hezbollah is a major political force in Lebanon.

In other news, Turkey had committed ethnic cleansing of Greeks from Turkey, Genocide of Armenians and recently war crimes towards Kurds. In addition they are illegally occupying half of Cyprus. Talk about hypocrites who lecture the world how to behave from their own low moral pedestal.

A massive terror attack against an Israeli target in Europe has been thwarted in recent weeks, Channel 2 quoted security officials as saying Wednesday.

The attack, linked to the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, was foiled thanks to intelligence sharing between Israel and an undisclosed European country.

Israeli officials believe that as the one year anniversary of the February 14 assassination of Hezbollah second-in-command Imad Mughniyeh approaches, attempts to attack Israeli targets around the world will intensify. Advertisement

Some two weeks ago, the Times of London reported that a Hezbollah plot to attack the Israeli embassy in Azerbaijan was foiled last year, after Azeri Intelligence discovered the plot.

Azeri intelligence authorities reportedly first caught wind of the plot weeks after Mughniyeh was killed by a car bomb in Damascus.

Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, said: "The Zionists will discover that the war they had in July was a walk in the park if we compare it to what we've prepared for every new aggression," the Times reported.

...Being realistic means we have to accept the fact that Israel exists and will continue to exist. The problem with Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, is that they do not want to accept this geopolitical fact. They undoubtedly know that Israel will never disappear, but they have to keep claiming that to score points with their own people, and with people in other countries to get them to turn against their own leaders who do not share their vision.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, mentioned more than three years ago and repeatedly afterwards that Israel should be wiped off the map. No one can deny the fact that he gained the admiration of many in the Arab world, but again we should pause and think twice. If he’s really sincere, why didn’t he even try to live up to his promise? What better opportunity than the current attack on Gaza? While Israel was at war with Hamas, Hezbollah could have started another war in the north; even better, the US is involved in two different wars — both rejected by the majority of Americans — and facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. ...Ironically, those who are accused of being traitors to the Palestinian and the Arab cause are the ones who chose to save Palestinian lives at the expense of boosting their own image in their home countries. Ironically, those who were accused of being traitors are the same ones truly mourning the deaths of their Palestinian brothers and sisters, while the deluded Hamas are celebrating their so-called victory over Gaza’s ruins.

Rahim ElKishky - may you live a long life. (don't let the Jihadis know where you live)

Congratulations, you've won the respect of this guy:Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said Mr Obama's comments to Dubai-based Al Arabiya represented a 'significant' break with Mr Bush

For the next 1,000 years, historians will look back and wonder what happened to this country that its people would turn over the government to greedy socialist pigs like Obama, Reid, and Pelosi, whose farcical "stimulus package" may literally bankrupt our entire society. This gargantuan pile of pork, which only a drooling mental defective could believe would stimulate the economy, represents a 40-year wish list for the ultra-left, which now has control of how our money is spent. The Wall Street Journal is aghast at this demented spending spree:

There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons.

What caught my eye on first pass was how embarrassingly miniscule is the spending for Homeland Security items as compared to spending on things related to climate change and the environment, for example, but also the multiple billions in other areas to set up more entitlement programs for Democratic constituencies.

A TOTAL of 1.1 billion is allocated for only 4 Homeland Security areas (starts 1/2 way thru pg. 103, goes to start of 105):Customs/Border100 million for seaports, non-invasive equipment/salaries150 million for land border entry ports, repair/construction of facilitiesTSA/Aviation500 million for explosive detection equipmentCoast Guard150 million to remove obstructive bridges, if they have projects ready to goFEMA200 million for emergency food and supply distribution(total of 1.1 billion)

This is in contrast, for example, to....

650 million allocated for additional digital-to-analog TV converter boxes for the states (BTW, this is on top what the states already allocate themselves for this....Chicago, where I live, has a current program in place, my daughter just got a $40 box for "free"). See page 51.Or, 400 million for ocean habitat restoration and mitigation (page 52)Or, 600 million for addl satellites with climate sensors to mitigate climate change (52)or, 140 million for climate date modeling equipment (52)(total of ~1.8 billion on pages 51-52 alone)

Small peanuts, I know, compared to the multiple billions being allocated to other depts. but it does give you an idea of the mindset of Democratic House members.... "Let's use the media to lambast Bush on his FEMA debacle, his lack of attention to "our nations port security," etc., but when given the opportunity to actually improve these areas..... no priority spending needed!

...We will enter his Administration as the United States, buoyed by an aggressive free market economy. We will exit his first year - and even the first hundred days - as France, burdened with massive government regulation, a vast public sector, and permanent middle class entitlements. And Obama will take care to arrange things so that massive and permanent political change accompanies his and protects his legislative achievements in the future....

Going to the dentist, so I'll leave you with the following copy/paste...

Aid Groups Angry over Lack of Access to GazaChristian Post -1 hour agoDr. Patrick Sookhdeo, international director of Barnabas Fund, called on Christians to “show the same concern ... as Muslims for the Muslim people in Gaza ...

Word jihad abused by some angry MuslimsThe Nation, Pakistan, Pakistan -Jan 23, 2009... an American intellectual, says that word ‘jihad’ has been much abused by a tiny, but spectacularly successful minority of angry Muslims, whose success ...

Uniting Against RadicalismHuffington Post, NY -Jan 22, 2009Muslims must be polite and respectful when interacting with people of different beliefs and ideologies. All Muslims must refrain from a harsh, angry, ...

I wonder if being employed by Dubai will in any way impact his impartiality. Naaa, that would mean that Obama's skills in picking his men are questionable, and we shouldn't question dear Leader. (or he might name names and mark his targets - like the good old Marxist book says)

George Mitchell, President Barack Obama’s special Middle East troubleshooter, was chairman of a law firm that was paid about $8 million representing Dubai’s ruler in connection with a child-trafficking lawsuit.

The DLA Piper law firm did legal and lobbying work on the case, which alleged that Dubai’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al- Maktoum and another official used children kidnapped from other countries to ride as jockeys in camel races. The firm lobbied federal agencies, members of the U.S. House and about two dozen Senate offices, including those of Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2006 and 2007, according to Justice Department foreign-agent disclosures.

Mitchell, 75, who isn’t a registered lobbyist, didn’t lobby either on this issue or for Dubai generally. DLA Piper partner Bill Minor said in an e-mail that Mitchell, a former Democratic senator from Maine, mainly focused on growth and management at the firm of almost 4,000 attorneys and 65 offices worldwide, and high-profile projects such as an investigation of steroid use in Major League Baseball.

Mitchell’s firm had extensive lobbying clients and offices in the Middle East ranging from the leader of Dubai to a Kuwait construction firm contracting in Iraq. The firm also has offices in Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Abu Dhabi and has an affiliation with a law firm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Mitchell traveled to Dubai and spoke to the press there about the issue.

He's not registered, so it doesn't count. In your dreams. Much like you can be a plumber even if municipal Ohio "big brother" didn't issue a license.

Washington, Jan 23 - The House Democrats’ trillion dollar spending bill, approved on January 21 by the Appropriations Committee and headed to the House floor next week for a vote, could open billions of taxpayer dollars to left-wing groups like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). ACORN has been accused of perpetrating voter registration fraud numerous times in the last several elections; is reportedly under federal investigation; and played a key role in the irresponsible schemes that caused a financial meltdown that has cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars since last fall.

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and other Republicans are asking a simple question: what does this have to do with job creation? Are Congressional Democrats really going to borrow money from our children and grandchildren to give handouts to ACORN in the name of economic “stimulus?”

Incredibly, the Democrats’ bill makes groups like ACORN eligible for a $4.19 billion pot of money for “neighborhood stabilization activities.” Funds for this purpose were authorized in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, signed into law in 2008. However, these funds were limited to state and local governments. Now House Democrats are taking the unprecedented step of making ACORN and other groups eligible for these funds:

“For a further additional amount for ‘Community Development Fund,’ $4,190,000,000, to be used for neighborhood stabilization activities related to emergency assistance for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes as authorized under division B, title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Public Law 110–289), of which—

“(1) not less than $3,440,000,000 shall be allocated by a competition for which eligible entities shall be States, units of general local government, and nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities[.]”

“(2) up to $750,000,000 shall be awarded by competition to nonprofit entities or consortia of nonprofit entities to provide community stabilization assistance […]”

The House Democrats’ trillion dollar spending bill also includes $1 billion for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. CDBG funds are given by the federal government to state and local governments which often contract with nonprofits for services related to the purpose of the grant.

This is what democrats call "jump-starting" the economy.

Glenn Reynolds was more accurate when he described it this way, "This is not so much a stimulus, as a massive transfer of wealth from the politically unconnected to the politically connected."True.

And just think... Your children get to pay for it!

UPDATE: Dan Riehl asks, "If there really is an emergency, why is Congress not acting like there is an emergency?"

Oy Vey. When Investor Business Daily editorialized that this would happen during the election - Lefties were screaming it is all lies - no radical bootcamps, it's all a vast right wing conspiracy.

If Chavez Obama gets what he wants - this would be in many ways the last days of the Democracy as we know it. Dear leader will ensure a single party system for generations through wealth redistribution (directly to the hands of ACORN).

The following story might not cause mass conversions, nor deter the hard core Jihadis and cause to reassess their values - but I agree with "elder-of-ziyon" that the only reason Arabs take efforts to debunk a religious myth on the Israeli Jewish side is due to real loss of faith and questioning of path in the Arab/Jihadi side.

I am not one who sticks to rumors of ghosts floating around helping those who pray, so here are the only facts I take from the following story: there's evidence to cracks in the Jihadi belief following the recent defeat in Gaza.

There have been some rumors that the Matriarch Rachel appeared to Israeli soldiers in Gaza and helped steer them away from danger. Some prominent rabbis in Israel are supporting the story, others are a bit more skeptical.

For weeks now, we have been hearing rumors about a mysterious woman who appeared before Israeli troops in the thick of the Gaza battles. Not just any woman, mind you, but the biblical Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, matriarch of Israel. (My nine-year-old daughter gave me an excellent speech about the pluses and minuses of believing these rumors.) Israel’s former chief rabbi, Mordechai Eliyahu, announced that he himself had sent her. And now another former chief rabbi and Shas spiritual leader, Ovadiah Yosef, has confirmed these reports.

This is the point where I’m supposed to say how ridiculous it is. A hoax, or a superstition, or something. But I’m not gonna’ do it.

I don’t care if you call the appearance of Rachel a metaphor or a miracle. There is a point in rabbinic discourse where miracles and metaphors all mingle together, where the word “literally” loses its meaning, making room for midrash — the art of saying something illiteral and literary. To say that Rachel was with our soldiers, that our matriarch was protecting her boys, is a deeper statement than anything that can be made by a professional reporter with a camera.

Let’s give the religious spinmasters the benefit of the doubt. Of course she wasn’t there. But, of course, she was.

It is most interesting to see how this story is being reported in the Muslim world. Usually, Muslims are the ones who publicly ascribe their actions to supernatural or divine influences, and they also believe that their religious values are what will help them to ultimately destroy the mostly infidel, secular Jews.

But now they are seeing that the IDF soldiers who entered Gaza did have a greater public spirituality than in previous operations. They are talking about miracles, about prayer, about their increased desire to wear tefillin and tzitzit.

And when Jews talk about G-d, Muslims get nervous. Their entire worldview of Jews is based on Jews having fallen from grace because they angered Allah by not doing their commandments and by not listening to their prophets. Even anecdotal stories about Jewish spirituality on the battlefield get lots of attention in the Arab and Muslim media.

Now, Islam Online is quoting "experts" on Judaism to try to debunk the Rachel story (in Arabic only, of course.)

Commenting on this story in history, a Palestinian professor, an expert on the Jewish history spoke to "Islam Online. Net," saying: "It does not have a scientific basis; Rachel, the wife of Prophet Abraham, Prophet Yusuf's mother, is not known to have participated in the fighting having sanctioned the extermination of children and women."

It goes without saying that this "expert" cannot get even the basic outlines of Rachel's life correct.

Dr. Zakaria Sinwar, a professor of history at the Islamic University in Gaza, and an expert on the Jewish issue, he said: "The Torah did not mention in their books that Rachel was a woman fighter, or participated in the fighting in one day, or sanctioned the extermination of children and women. "

According to Dr. Sinwar in an interview with "Islam Online. Net," "Israel has tried from the outset to show that this is a religious war .. their scrutiny of religious reading of the Torah reveal a dimension of ordering the bloody killing of the young."

He said that the "repetition of the talk about the emergence of Rachel during the war demonstrates that the Israeli soldiers lack the sense of the military .. Are they waiting for Rachel to show them on the whereabouts of the resistance and mines?!. Is Rachel a better means of spying then their advanced technology?!".

He added: "After their failure, the soldiers tried to give an aura of holiness and a religious dimension. Their talk about Rachel is not linked to any historical or religious facts, only naive attempts to imitate what is spoken by the people of Gaza from the verses of Allah and victory in the battle against Israel .. The soldiers say that the angels of Gaza also have fought with us. "

The Palestinian resistance has emphasized the "Islam Online.Net," that God directly supported them, bringing a dense fog, which enabled them to plant and detonate improvised explosive devices in the mechanisms of military occupation.

During the war in Gaza the Israeli media showed images of a soldier on the tank reading the Talmud, and the second leading some religious ceremonies before the launch of missiles, and the third wearing a Jewish skullcap religious symbol.

One only tries to debunk stories that one's audience might otherwise believe.

The terrorists that pray that their Qassam rockets kill Jewish children seem to be getting a bit uneasy that the Jews are praying at the same time to help kill the terrorists. It is almost as if they realize, deep down, that G-d might prefer to be on the Jews' side, as He appears to have been for other wars between Jews and Arabs.

Without an attempt to sound religious in any way, I can definitely equate this situation to biblical occasions where Jews prayed to god - won wars, and the idol worshipers who lost re-evaluated their faith in their despair.

Still - I'm not optimistic regarding Jihadis turning the other chick any time soon... The western world needs to be more engaged in fighting evil first.

I was wondering yesterday what caused the sharp rise in home prices in Israel over the last 3 years. The real estate market in Israel is booming and it is still a seller's market. Words you couldn't hear in the US for the last 4 years - a seller's market.In the 90-s Israel had a similar real estate boom and it was related to the huge wave of immigration from the former soviet union. Eventually that wave declined and almost reached a halt in the early 2000-s. What followed that decline in immigration wave was a huge decline in home values - and the market somewhat froze. I remember people weren't happy to owe more on their home than it's worth - much like I owe more on mine here in Michigan.

But the tides have turned in Israel - just in reverse correlation to the rest of the world. The reason - unsurprisingly is again a silent wave of immigrants. This time, Jews are fleeing Europe. Since 2005, Jews in France have decided they do not wish to remain in a 1939 Nazi Germany environment and have practicably "bought out" complete neighborhoods in Israel. Ashdod to be exact. Ashdod which was bombarded by Hamas during the recent war. Reviewing the choice between being murdered in the streets of Paris by Arabs, or being threatened by them in Israel - French Jews choose Israel.

There's more to it. There are many "high-end" real estate developments on the shores of the Mediterranean and even those who do not immigrate but have deep pockets are buying in. Would you resist a beach front apartment facing the Mediterranean as a summer home if you could afford it?

Well, the exact translation of the title is:"In the project 'Neve Zedek on the Sea' they claim that there are many addresses of Jews from France and USA for high end apartments in response to recent war: 'in last wave of antisemitism they bought all of Ashdod'"

Israel’s bombing of United Nations buildings during Operation ‘Cast Lead’ has sparked a debate among European Union foreign ministers on whether to condemn the Jewish State.

Ireland, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, and Sweden are demanding an international inquiry into alleged violations of international law by both Israel and the Hamas terror group. Yet Germany, Italy, Holland, and Rumania are reluctant to challenge Israel for fear of sabotaging the EU’s push for Israel to open the Gaza crossings, according to diplomatic sources.

Obama's message to the world was clear, said Weiner, co-director of the Stanford Program in International Law.

"The president has essentially renounced the (previous) president's approach to the so-called war on terror," he said. "The idea that we will use extraordinary wartime authorities and claim the powers that are available to the president only in times of war in a far-reaching manner that has never been claimed by the United States government has been renounced."

A reporter at the first White House press briefing under the Obama administration yesterday asked a good question about whether President Obama plans to use the same language as President Bush when referring to U.S. efforts to fight terrorism.

"When he was signing the order today banning torture, he referred to the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism -- he did not refer to the war on terrorism. I want to know if this is purposeful. Has he decided to drop the war metaphor?” the reporter said.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs said, “I think the language today was consistent with what he said in his inaugural address on the 20th. I'm not aware of any larger charges than that.”

“No decision not to use that phrase?” the reporter asked.

“Not that I'm aware of,” Gibbs said.

The president, during remarks at the State Department later in the afternoon, provided an answer to the reporter's question.

“The orders that I signed today,” Obama said, “should send an unmistakable signal that our actions, in defense of liberty, will be just as our costs and that we the people will uphold our fundamental values as vigilantly as we protect our security.”

“Once again America's moral example must be the bedrock and the beacon of our global leadership. We are confronted by extraordinary, complex and interconnected global challenges: war on terror, sectarian division and the spread of deadly technology. We did not ask for the burden that history has asked us to bear, but Americans will bear it. We must bear it.”

So for now, Obama is in favor of the phrase, “war on terror.”

The fact is - that to make this decision, people have to connect three different press occasions and then connect the dots. If this is the 'war on terror' - why make it so complicated? Are you embarrassed to fight an enemy who wishes harm on your nation?

If the American public is confused, what about the enemy? Or are people trying to butcher Americans and non-Muslims still considered the enemy?

Friday, January 23, 2009

During the recent fighting in the Gaza Strip, officials from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA) have been highly critical of Israeli policies. In particular, spokesperson Christopher Gunness and John Ging, director of the agency’s operations in the Gaza Strip, have condemned Israel for killing Palestinian women and children without acknowledging the role Hamas’ rockets played in provoking the conflict.

Journalists often fail to report that UNWRA has come under severe criticism and intense scrutiny for its ties to Palestinian terror groups, mismanagement of funds, and failure to repatriate Palestinian refugees.

The New York Times will report almost anything newsworthy—except a rumored affair between its publisher and Caroline Kennedy, Gawker reports. When a reader commented on the paper’s City Room blog wondering if the Times would address the gossip surrounding the two, the comment was deleted with the explanation that “We don’t report stuff like this, regardless of people involved.” Uh, sure.

“It’s very relevant that someone who wants one of the highest political offices in the state is in a romantic relationship with the publisher of the most influential newspaper in the state,” said the deleted post.

Let's be honest about it. These—these people watch this network out here," Matthews opined. “MSNBC is the ‘it’ network for the Obama masses? That’s news to me,” Shafer writes, adding that Keith Olbermann wasn't having any of it either, and "approached his colleague like a teetotaler trying to talk down a drunk."

I wonder who but Mathews could be drunk 364 days a year and keep his job... (even if no alcohol is involved)

By rest of the world, I don't mean the Arab world - who does not care that Palliwood is striking back. The only truth the Arab world is ready to accept is that Gazans are both victims, and victorious - and Israel is always at fault. Trying to convince the Arab world otherwise or that it was deceived by Hamas as was the case with Al-Dura - is futile.

Background: During the recent operation in Gaza, an Arab doctor was on the phone each day with Israeli reporters on TV. Apparently his home was hit while on the phone and he was screaming "the IDF killed my daughters".

Israel evacuated the Doctor and his dead and wounded family members. While in the hospital, the Doctor took the opportunity to conduct a press conference slamming the IDF for killing his daughters.

After a few days, Israel began proclaiming the Doctor was lying. The shrapnel extracted from the bodies belonged to Hamas' rockets. Today Israel's channel 2 news reported that there are numourous evidences including video tapes proving the Doctor was lying.

Israelis usually consume their news from Hebrew websites, Hebrew news on TV, Hebrew newspapers, Hebrew Radio - you get the picture. I'm sure that with all the media this case is getting in Israel, Israelis are simply unaware that the world simply doesn't care.

There are a lot of things happening right now, and the only reasons the global media attention might shift focus back to Israel and Gaza's false victimhood is to:

A. Divert attention from the global financial collapse - such as is happening right now in England, or the creeping socialism being imposed on the USA.B. If something truly grandiose is to happen - not to Israelis - not to Arabs - to many Arabs by Israelis.

Well, I was talking to Congressman Pence about it yesterday, and we touched upon something that is in the new stimulus package, and I just gave it to you a minute ago. In Obama's new stimulus package, $600 million to address -- and I'm quoting -- to address shortages and prepare our country for universal healthcare. This goes back to what I told you before: They are going to take this country by dribs and drabs. If you want to have an open debate about healthcare, then let's do it. If you want to say, "I want to be a socialist country," then let's have that conversation. But that's not the way it's happening. They are just taking it from you at night. Your freedoms, your economic freedom, the idea of capitalism, the idea that you control your own life and you make your own decisions, it's all going away and Congressman Pence is here to talk toe about this a little more.

The U.S. military intercepted and searched an Iranian-owned ship that officials feared was carrying arms to the militant group Hamas, but two officials said it was unclear Thursday whether those suspicions were founded.

The Cypriot-flagged commercial vessel was tracked by a U.S. Navy ship in the Red Sea over the weekend, one official said. It was boarded and searched with the consent of the vessel's crew on Monday and Tuesday, said another.

They both spoke on condition of anonymity because details were still sketchy and they were not authorized to speak about it on the record.

One official said the two-day search turned up ammunition that included artillery shells; and since Hamas is not known to use artillery, officials are now uncertain who the intended recipient was.

"There's just a lot of things we don't know yet, and it will be a couple of days before we do," he said.

Lt. Stephanie Murdock, a spokeswoman for the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said she had no comment on the operation.

But the two other defense officials said the vessel was allowed to continue its voyage after the search. One official said Egypt has been asked to a fuller search once the ship arrives in port.

An Israeli terror victims association is preparing to launch a new information campaign based on the fear that new US President Barack Obama will usher in a period "where there is no serious global war on terror."

"We are hearing how many civilians were killed in Gaza all the time, but we feel that the focus needs to be widened in order to highlight how many Israeli civilians have also been killed by Hamas terrorists," said Meir Indor, head of the right-of-center terror victims association, Almagor.

Almagor has protested the release of Palestinian prisoners in prisoner exchanges, and strongly supported the IDF's offensive in Gaza.

Indor was in Sderot Monday to recruit Israel's most recent victims of terror for the tour, which is set to take place in the coming weeks.

"We are planning on meeting with members of the US Congress and their aides, as well as members of the Jewish community. We want to wake them up to how Israel suffers regularly from terrorism," said Indor.

He added that with Obama now in power, the trip is more important than in the past because, "we are about to enter a period where there is no serious global war on terror."

For Yossi Zur, whose 17-year-old son Assaf was killed by a Hamas suicide bomber on a Haifa bus in 2003, the decision to join Almagor's forthcoming speaking tour was an easy one.

"Seventeen people were killed in that attack; nine of them were under 17," recalled Zur of that fateful day in March when his son died on his way home from school. "He took that bus every day at the same time."

According to Zur, information about the suicide bomber, who was sent by Hamas, was later found showing that he chose that specific bus "because he knew it would be packed with school children.

"I think that the international media is very one-sided and believe that the main reason for this is something that I call the 'pain competition,'" he continued. "In 30 seconds, the TV media is not able to present the reality here. It is so much easier for them to play the pain game."

Zur said that since 2000, more than 1,200 Israeli have been killed by suicide bombers. He pointed to a recent Channel 4 documentary on suicide bombers, in which one declared that "every person in Israel can justifiably be killed because either they were once in a soldier or will become a soldier one day."

Alongside their frustration that the voice of Hamas terror victims is seldom heard in the international media, Zur and Indor feel that the government achieved very little during the recent conflict.

"Hamas is still in power, Gilad Schalit has still not been returned and, I read in the newspaper today that, within a year Hamas will have rockets capable of reaching Tel Aviv," said Zur, referring to assertions made in an interview by Israel Beitenu leader Avigdor Lieberman.

Indor, who said he interviewed terror victims from the communities around Gaza Monday, added: "People in the South had very high expectations for this war and most of those whom I spoke to were disappointed that it had ended without any real results."

The peace agreements reached in Northern Ireland are proof that "there is no such thing as a conflict that can't be ended," George Mitchell, the man widely touted as US President Barack Obama's choice for new Middle East envoy.

"We're going to try to seat Al Franken," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters on Wednesday, a few hours before he posed with Franken for photos just off the Senate floor. "There's not a question in anyone's mind, an assertion by anyone, that there's been any fraud or wrongdoing in this election."